Glenn Santoro

Glenn A. Santoro

Partner

Glenn A. Santoro

Partner

  • Overview

    Biography

    Glenn Santoro, a lawyer and certified public accountant, focuses his practice in the areas of public finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters. He combines his accounting background and nearly three decades of legal experience to assist clients with complex financial and business transactions. He is a member of the firm’s Business Transactions Group.

    Public Finance

    Glenn assists municipalities and government agencies with financings related to public projects, particularly in the area of water pollution control. He has represented various municipalities in the drafting and negotiation of documentation for the privatization of municipal wastewater treatment systems. Glenn consummated a transaction involving the formation of a regional water pollution control authority and its acquisition of wastewater system assets, which was financed by the issuance of tax-exempt revenue bonds. He represents municipalities in connection with the issuance of tax-exempt obligations, and he is responsible for the firm's representation of all municipal borrowers in State of Connecticut Clean Water Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund financings.

    Mergers and Acquisitions

    Glenn handles a variety of merger and acquisition transactions for public and private clients, such as government entities, manufacturers, distributors, and energy companies.

    General Corporate Services

    In addition to his transactional practice, Glenn regularly represents corporate clients on matters of governance, shareholder relations, and general contracting issues.

    Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, he worked in the audit department of Coopers & Lybrand, now known as PwC.

  • Experience
    • Experience

      Experience

      • Represented the New Haven Solid Waste and Recycling Authority (the "Authority"), a municipal resource recovery authority organized under chapter 103b of the General Statutes of Connecticut, in its formation and acquisition of certain solid waste system assets from the City of New Haven. The Authority financed this transaction through the issuance of tax-exempt revenue bonds. Work product included the drafting of the bond documents, the Authority's bylaws, and the ordinances adopted by the Board of Aldermen of the City of New Haven with respect to the creation of the Authority and the mandatory flow of solid waste inside City limits to the Authority's facilities. The multimillion-dollar transaction also involved structuring, negotiating, and drafting an asset purchase agreement and service and fee agreements. Representation of the Authority continues as general counsel and bond counsel.
      • Represented the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority (the GNHWPCA), a regional water pollution control authority organized under chapter 446k of the General Statutes of Connecticut, in its formation, acquisition of water pollution assets, and issuance of bonds to finance the transaction. The GNHWPCA serves four municipalities in the greater New Haven area, including New Haven, East Haven, Hamden, and Woodbridge. Drafted all of the relevant transaction documents, including the concurrent ordinance, the bylaws of the GNHWPCA, the asset purchase agreement, a transition services agreement, a cost-sharing agreement, and other ancillary closing documents, and negotiated the terms of such agreements with counsel from the other constituent municipalities. The City of New Haven was counseled through the approval process for this transaction, including representation of the City's interests before the City Plan Commission, the Water Pollution Control Authority, and the Board of Aldermen. Our representation of the City of New Haven and the GNHWPCA on this project required the joint efforts of lawyers in our Public Finance, Corporate, Environmental, and Real Estate Practice Sections. Representation of the GNHWPCA continues as general counsel and bond counsel.

      • Represented the City of Bridgeport Water Pollution Control Authority in connection with its entry into an anaerobic digestion facility design, build and operate agreement with an affiliate of Anaergia, Inc., pursuant to which one of the nation's first anaerobic digestion and cogeneration facilities shall be established and operated in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

      • Represented the City of Bridgeport Water Pollution Control Authority in connection with its entry into a wastewater treatment system service agreement with Severn Trent Environmental Services, Inc., pursuant to which Severn Trent shall operate and maintain the WPCA's wastewater treatment facilities for ten-year initial term.

      • Represented the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority in connection with its entry into a maintenance services agreement with New Haven Residuals, Limited Partnership, an affiliate of Synagro Technologies Inc., pursuant to which New Haven Residuals shall maintain the WPCA's wastewater treatment facilities for a fifteen-year initial term.

      • Represented the City of Danbury, Connecticut, in connection with privatization of its wastewater treatment plant, whereby the City obtained a $10 million advance payment on prospective savings and stabilized future rates under a 20-year management contract. Negotiated the purchase agreement with and received approval from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
      • Represented a national mailing equipment distribution and service company in numerous acquisitions throughout the United States.
      • Represented a municipal entity in the negotiation and acquisition of a bottled water company, including the drafting of special legislation authorizing the acquisition.
      • Represented the City of Groton — Groton Utilities, a municipal electric utility — in the negotiation and drafting of numerous long-term power supply agreements with a large pharmaceutical manufacturer.
      • Represented lead party in the first regionalization effort in Connecticut to join communities in a water distribution infrastructure system to address potable water supply needs and infrastructure security requirements. The project included the construction of approximately $12 million of new infrastructure to connect existing water supply systems in multiple municipal utilities. Our efforts included preparation of several agreements for construction, funding, rate-setting, and system operations requirements of the project. The project has been heralded by regulators as a model for future efforts to optimize efficient allocation of increasingly scarce water resources and to address water security objectives related to natural, accidental, or man-made water supply emergencies.

      • Representation of a New York county in all aspects, including corporate, environmental, real estate, and administrative law, of its renegotiation of a long-term agreement for the disposal of solid waste and operation of a waste-to-energy facility, with several ancillary agreements among the county, the facility operator, and the municipality in which the facility is located concerning the transfer of ownership of such facility from a county agency to the operator of the waste-to-energy facility.

      • Represented numerous Connecticut municipalities in the structuring and negotiation of a wastewater treatment system service agreement relating to the maintenance and operation of each of the municipalities' wastewater treatment facilities by a private contract operator.
      • Represented a leading manufacturer of consumer cosmetic product ingredients in the acquisition of stock and assets as part of the dissolution of a joint venture with a large German multinational conglomerate.
      • Represented St. Laurent Paperboard in numerous acquisitions in the U.S. and Canada.
      • Represented a regional fuel oil company in numerous acquisitions of independent fuel oil companies operating throughout Connecticut.
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    • Professional Associations

      Professional Associations

      National Association of Bond Lawyers

      American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

      Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants

      Connecticut Government Finance Officers Association
  • NEWS + PRESS
    • Presentations

      Presentations

      "The IRS Opens the Door for Long Term Management Contracts," co-presented with Keisha S. Palmer and Christie D. Jean, at the Connecticut Association of Water Pollution Control Authorities (CAWPCA) Spring Workshop in Plantsville, Connecticut (5/18/2017)

      "Regionalization of Municipal Wastewater Services," at 2004 Spring Workshop of the Connecticut Association of Water Pollution Control Authorities, Inc. (4/28/2004)
      • » more info

        • Regionalization of Municipal Wastewater Services

        "Regionalization of Municipal Wastewater Services," at 2004 Spring Workshop of the Connecticut Association of Water Pollution Control Authorities, Inc., presented by Glenn A. Santoro (4/28/2004)
        Mr. Santoro presented a program entitled Regionalization of Municipal Wastewater Services as part of the 2004 Spring Workshop of the Connecticut Association of Water Pollution Control Authorities, Inc. The program detailed the statutory authority granted to Connecticut municipalities to form a regional water pollution control authority, the procedures and legal considerations involved in forming such a regional entity, the documents of transfer required to effectuate a regional transaction and the powers and obligations of a regional water pollution control authority.

      "Privatization of Municipal Services: Effective Strategies," at The New England States Government Finance Officers Association 2001 Annual Conference in Burlington, Vermont

    • News

      R+C in the News

      • January 28, 2019

        Robinson+Cole Hosts UConn Law Alumni Association “Breakfast Brief”

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          Robinson+Cole Hosts UConn Law Alumni Association “Breakfast Brief”

          The firm hosted a “Breakfast Brief” program in the Hartford office on January 18, 2019. Presented by the University of Connecticut School of Law (UConn Law) Alumni Association, the program is a part of a new morning series that offers networking and education. During the Breakfast Brief, Professor Sara Bronin discussed ways in which UConn Law students and faculty are impacting historic preservation efforts in Hartford through her courses in property, land use, and historic preservation law, and highlighted some upcoming changes that have been proposed in the campus master plan. The Robinson+Cole lawyers who attended their alma mater’s program were Mimi M. Lines, Linda L. Morkan, Denis J. O'Malley, Je'Quana S. Orr, Keisha S. Palmer, Emilee Mooney Scott, and Glenn A. Santoro. Linda currently serves on the board of directors of the UConn Law Alumni Association. View event photos.

        • View article
      • May 30, 2017

        R+C Lawyers Serve as Presenters and Panelist at Connecticut Association of Water Pollution Control Authorities Workshop

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          R+C Lawyers Serve as Presenters and Panelist at Connecticut Association of Water Pollution Control Authorities Workshop

          Public Finance lawyers Christie Jean, Keisha Palmer, and Glenn Santoro were presenters and panelists at the Connecticut Association of Water Pollution Control Authorities (CAWPCA) Spring Workshop, on May 18, 2017 at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. Ms. Jean, Ms. Palmer, and Mr. Santoro presented on the topic of long term management contracts for bond financed facilities. They discussed the 2016 and 2017 release of new management contract rules by the Internal Revenue Service that brought  new provisions and changed prior rules. Their presentation delved into the new rules and their potential impact on service contracts entered into by WPCAs. Additionally, Mr. Santoro served as a panelist at the event on the topic of “The Current Trend in Regionalization.” Mr. Santoro and the panel discussed how utility regionalization can take many forms, such as inter-municipal cooperation, acquisitions, and the establishment of new regional authorities. The three member panel also focused on potential drivers for establishing a new regional authority or district and the tools needed for success.

      • October 28, 2010

        Public Finance Attorney Elected to Hill-Stead Museum Board

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          Public Finance Attorney Elected to Hill-Stead Museum Board

          Partner Glenn A. Santoro has been elected to the board of governors of the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, Connecticut. The Hill-Stead is a nationally recognized house museum with a rich history and an extensive collection of French impressionist paintings. The museum is a National Historic Landmark that develops, preserves, documents, displays, and interprets its collection and the historic building in which it is housed. As a member of the board, Mr. Santoro will use his professional background as a finance lawyer and public accountant to serve as an ambassador for the institution and oversee its policy, governance, and fiduciary matters.
      • March 10, 2009

        Robinson & Cole Partner Discusses Water Pollution Control Authority Regionalization Proposal

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          Robinson & Cole Partner Discusses Water Pollution Control Authority Regionalization Proposal

          Public Finance partner, Glenn A. Santoro, recently made a presentation regarding a joint proposal between Bridgeport, Monroe and Trumbull for the creation of a regional water pollution control authority pursuant to sections 22a-500 to 22a-519 inclusive of the Connecticut General Statutes.

          The presentation was made to members of the City Council of Bridgeport, the Town Council members of each of Monroe and Trumbull, Mayor Bill Finch of Bridgeport, First Selectman Ray Baldwin of Trumbull, First Selectman Tom Buzi of Monroe, and the Water Pollution Control Authorities of each of Bridgeport, Monroe and Trumbull. Mr. Santoro discussed the benefits and challenges of creating a regional water pollution control authority and presented a case study on the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority, a regional WPCA already created in 2005, and spearheaded by Attorney Santoro. Business Transactions Attorney Nimesh J. Patel assisted Mr. Santoro with the presentation. To view the presentation, click here.

    • Legal Updates/Newsletters

      Legal Updates/Newsletters

      "Higher Interest Rates Create Opportunity and Potential Liability" co-authored with Keisha S. Palmer, David M. Panico, Christie D. Jean and Garrett S. Shaikh (8/15/2023)

      "Amendments to Continuing Disclosure Obligations Under Rule 15c2-12" co-authored with Keisha S. Palmer and David M. Panico (2/1/2019)